Leading the Industry with Second-to-None Service

Earthmoving and mining work require industrial machinery, and Peed Equipment Co. answers the call as a heavy equipment rental specialist. Its head office is in Temecula, California, but it works in many states with recent work in Florida, Idaho, and Texas, as well as across the border in Canada, and even Mexico.
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The company began with rebuilding the Caterpillar D9H dozer, but concentrating on customer service and technological advancements are what has made it successful and will continue to do so going forward. We spoke with its Field Operations Manager Ken Rudenski to find out more.

The Peed Equipment Company strives to prove that the impossible is possible if you have the right machine. The company was started in 1982 by Dennis Peed in Chandler, Arizona. He began by rebuilding Caterpillar D9H dozers which, at that time, were very popular. The company completely rebuilt over 250 of these machines in the following years. Each year, it began acquiring more Caterpillar equipment and a broader range of it and then renting it to most of the southwestern United States. Led today by Dennis’ youngest son David Peed, the legacy continues stronger than ever with the same values and principles that Peed Equipment Company was founded on.

When customers need machines and the qualified personnel to operate them, Peed is a huge asset in avoiding downtime while getting projects done in a timely fashion. The company’s equipment has been used on mining sites of all kinds as well as in constructing dams, golf courses, freeways, landfills, levees, power plants, and residential, commercial or industrial developments, among many other projects. “We have and do it all. Wherever there is earth that needs to be moved, we can make it happen,” says Ken.

This is a tight market with few companies that offer the services of Peed Equipment, and its name and reputation do most of the talking. “Our customers know they can rely on us. Our machines don’t just look good; they run well. Our service and maintenance rituals are second to none,” says Ken.

Spare machines are brought onto every job site so that, if there are issues, operators can hop onto the spare while Peed’s onsite mechanic fixes the problem. The customer does not have to worry about losing any production or time. Not only does Peed have the mechanics and spare machines, but it also supplies a parts trailer equipped with parts, components, and even a machine to make hoses.

Peed Equipment’s mechanics are spoiled with some of the newest service trucks in the industry. These are fitted with custom beds and heavy lift cranes designed specifically for the company by Lodi Truck and Equipment so that mechanics can lift heavy parts without assistance.

Technology is a huge part of this industry, and it is essential that Peed keeps up with the latest trends. It has VisionLink applications on every machine to monitor daily use, fuel consumption, maintenance schedules, fault codes, and other factors. It offers GPS on some of the support equipment like 16M motor graders and D10T dozers to help customers easily get the desired grade with speed and accuracy.

The company has also been adapting machines to be prepared for changing environmental regulations. “Especially in the state of California emission standards are becoming stricter as each day passes. We have always stayed ahead of the game and were one of the first big companies to repower our machines to Tier 3 engines before it was mandatory. Today, we are even repowering some of the machines to Tier 4 including the world’s very first CAT 777F that has been converted to a Tier 4,” says Ken.

Despite the best machines, issues are inevitable, and this brings up another separating factor. It has an unsurpassed preventative maintenance program and tries to catch any issue before it turns into a major one. If an issue arises, there is a mechanic there onsite to fix it immediately, and spare machines are at the ready, so operators can jump right into them, keeping the material moving and the customer is on schedule.

Peed Equipment has several important projects taking place. In Alabama, it has eight 657 scrapers working seven days a week making way for a new Facebook data facility. In Texas, it is involved in a couple of projects. One of which has a large fleet of scrapers creating a massive water storage reservoir that, once completed will be nearly five miles in circumference. This will be the second one as it completed one last year of the same magnitude.

“In California, we have several residential jobs in both northern and southern parts. In Northern California, we have a mass grading job with some heavy artillery including several large dozers, 651E scrapers, and 777F haul trucks moving a few million yards of dirt and rock,” says Ken.

In Southern California, Peed Equipment Company has jobs scattered all over, including a fleet of scrapers helping to move seventy million cubic yards of material for phase 1 a new housing development. It also has machines working in mines in Utah and New Mexico, helping to pull vital materials from the earth.

It adapts to changing markets. For example, when mining is slow, it can focus more on machinery for construction or public works. “During the economic crash in the United States a few years ago, the company actually grew drastically. We took advantage of how low equipment prices of good used equipment was, due to large companies going under, and we really increased our fleet for pennies on the dollar,” says Ken.

The company has 110 employees and has been growing since the beginning, but one of its main challenges is in keeping up with demand. Now, Peed Equipment Company is busier than ever. Even with over seventy 657E/G scrapers in its inventory, it does not have enough. Last year, it ordered and purchased four new 657G scrapers from Caterpillar. This was a huge milestone for Peed Equipment for two reasons.

Firstly, it was the first time in over thirty-five years that it bought a new machine. Also, these are the very last four 657G scrapers that Caterpillar was ever going to make on its assembly line. It discontinued the G series of 657 scrapers, so to acquire the last four is quite the coup.

“Even with these four brand new machines added to the fleet and working, we are still short on what we could use. Good used machines that meet our high standards are very hard to find,” says Ken.

Peed searched the world, and a few months back, it found some low-hour scrapers in Europe that have been used to haul coal and have never even touched dirt or have been scratched by a rock. It jumped on that opportunity and recently bought a third machine from the same location. The first two have arrived, and the company has been going through them and shortening them into push/pull dirt haulers.

Peed Equipment Company stands by its name and reputation. Its customers always come first, and it is there to help them with what is needed to get the job done. No matter what the challenge, it is not a problem for Peed.

“We offer the best equipment available, backed by stellar maintenance and personnel. Our reliability and customer satisfaction are the biggest competitive edges. Our customers know that when they use Peed, they won’t have to worry about downtime and production that would be an issue with other companies,” says Ken.

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